Stabilizer



April 19, 1927. y 1,625,224

J. M. SEAWELL STABILIZER Filed Nov. 1.8. 1925 .Japh M Seawell..

Patented Apr. 19, 1927. i y l UNETED S'IES P TENT'OFFICE.

JOSEPH IVI. SEAWELL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

STABILIZER.

Application filed November 18, 1925. Serial No. 69,890.

The present invention relates to stabilizmeans of which the wheels aregiven the deers, and particularly to stabilizers for use in sireddirection. o connection with the front or steering wheels The inventioncontemplates the provision of an automobile. of means for exertingpressure, preferably An object of the invention is to provide akyielding pressure, upon the steering knuckle stabilizing means for usein connection with arms and acting to tend either to compress thesteering wheels of an automobile which or extend the reach rod.Accordingly, the will prevent the occurrence of what is conn yieldabletension means may be provided on monly known as shimmying orunintentional either the front or rear of the front axle and l0 andundesirable vibration of the steering may in either case have either anexpansion wheels. or contraction tendency. c

A further object of the invention is to The invention is illustrated asbeing lo- 30 provide a device of this character which will cated on thefront or forward part of a iixed accomplish the result stated and willalso actv automobile axle and the yiel'dable tension l0 to take up wearin connection with the steer means has been shown in the form of a ingknuckle, steering knuckle arms, reach spring placed under compression.rod, and other parts of the steering mecha- Referring now in ldetail tothe accompany- 65 nism, ing drawing, the front wheels 11 are shown A.still further object of the invention is to as being attached to thefront axle 12 of an provide such a devicefwhich will permit ofautomobile in the usual manner by means easy steering of the vehicle andwhich does of the steering knuckles 13, which are pronot have anytendency'to return the wheels vided in the usual way with steeringknuckle 70 to straight-ahead steering position. arms la connectedtogether at their ends by Other objects and advantages of the ina reachrod 15 which has a connection 18 Z5 ventio-n will appear from thefollowing denear one of its ends to a rod 17 which leads cription, inwhich a preferred embodiment to any usual or convenient form of steeringof the invention is illustrated by Vay of eX- gear box, not shown, as itforms no part of 75 ample, taken in connection with l the accomthepresent invention. panying drawing, in which: Y In accordance with thepresent invention, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the wheels, the steeringknuckles 13 are provided with axle, and so much of the steeringmechanism additional arms 18 which are shown exas is necessary to anillustration of the prestending forwardly of the axle or in a direcanent inventio-n, which is shown applied tion opposite to the customarySteering thereto; knuckle arms 14C andpreferably are located Fig. 2 isan enlarged axial sectional View somewhat lower or nearer the groundthan of the spring housing shown in Fig. 1; said arms 14. The additionalsteering Fig. 3 is a partial detail view illustrating knuckle arms 18may be secured tothe steera5 another form of the invention; and ingknuckles in any convenient manner such. Fig. 4 is a sectional view takenon the line for example, as by means of a screw-threaded 1- 4: of Fig.2. extension provided on the steering knuckles The present invention isparticularly over which screws the auxiliary arm 18. adapted for use yinconnection with an auto- The auxiliary arms 18 are preferably pro nomobile steering mechanism which includes a vided with ball ends 19 whichfit in sockets fixed axle, wheels thereon connected to said 20, thesockets 2O receiving and holding the l5 axle by steering knuckles, saidsteering tension rods 21, which are shown as extendknuckles having armsconnected to each other ing toward each other. f by a reach rod, whichin turn is connected by Y F ixed to the axle 12 by any convenient 95another rod to the steering gear box and by means, such as the U-boltstraps 22 and nuts S23, is a spring housing 2l. 1Within the sprino'housing there located a coil spring :f5 wnich is placed undercompression and bears at its ends against the metallic disks .3 whichare connected b r rivets 27 to the metallic disks the metallic disks 26and .20 clamping between them the bottoms oi` -hc oppositely extendingcup washers 2S) and lo, which have their cylindrical peripheral io edgesin close sliding contact with the inner surface ot the housing il.llxpansion nictallic spring members 231 are preteraloi);v `insertedwithin the friction or cup washers 230 lor the purpose ot' maintainingltheir cylinif drical outer |'anfipheries in close contact with the innersurlace olf the spring housing ill.

rl`he tension rods 2l. are proridc'l preteraiili' with ball ends T323which hear aeainst the metallic. disks i8 and hold the sin-ing 253 founder compression.

In sscnibling this device, the spring housing is clamped on the lrontaxle and the siiring to he placed under compression is in sorted in thehousing. '.l`he cup washers Si nia),T have the ends ol this springaiiiiied to thezn and may be inserted with the spring into thc housing.At this time the spring not beingl under tension, the cup washers willbe located respectively relativelyv near :lo the ends of the springhousing The wheels oil the vehicle are then turned to. their extremelimit either to right or let't, and depending upon the direction inwhich they are turned, the appropriate tension rod 2l is 5 inserted intothe housin si with its ball end 32 bearing against one oli the washers,and the dimensions ol the parts. are so arranged that, this can beaccomplished only by additional pressure on the wheels tending to 40torce them in the direction towards which thcaY have been turned beyondthe linut to which they can be turned b v the steering gear. A quickpush with snli'icient pressure behind it is sullicient to accolnplislithis. la The other reach rod 2l inserted in the housing 2l in a, similarinannerv` the wheels being turned in the opposite direction l'or (hepurpoee, and it will be seen that with this uicthod ole assembly it isnot possible l'or the steering gear to turn. the wheels a sulilcicutamount in` either direction to cause the ball end 32 ot' the tensionrods to come out ot the housing It is further to he noted in theassembly ot the device that when thc. second tension rod 2l is to beinserted in the housing 24s, the spring Q5, must he placed undertension. and this. can be done by pressing inwardly on thc appropriatecup washer by a screw-driver while the teni-Jion rod 2l is beinginserted.

lnsteiul ol the housing 2st, strap bolts. Q2 and other structure abovedescribed, the vicldable tension means may comprise tension rods #ilandalQ, shown in Fig. 3, which are secured to the auxiliary steeringknuckle fil) arms in the manner above described. One of these arms il ishollow while the other L2 lits within it, the insertion olf one rodwithin the other being accomplisl'ied in a manner similar to that abovedescribed, namely, by forcing the forward parts ot the wheels towardeach other and then letting them resume their normal parallel positionalter the insertion has occurred.

il.. coil spring is shown as surrounding one of the rods 4:2 and hearingat one end against a stop washer il lixed by a set screw -l-:S to thetension rod 12, the spring d3 bearingv at its other end against asimilar stop fasher 4G secured to the tension rod Lll by a set screw1li. The tension ot the spring il-l may he adj usted by 7arying theposition ot' the stop washer elfi.

lt will he seen that in both the constructions herein described thewheels are perl'ectly 'tree lo assume any position in which they may beturned by the steering gear, and that the present invention does notcanse or tend to cause the wheels to be turned into any other position.

It will also` he seen that the friction oi the cup washers shown in Fig.2 may be regulated by leaving them dry7 or supplying oil thereto inorder to regulate the case with which said friction or cap washersreciprocate in their housino'.

lrlilhere an, obstruction in the roadway is encountered by one of thewheels and it is momentaril)Y deflected sideways` the spring yieldabletension means acts as an aid in preventing the transmission o'l`; thisdeflection to the wheel. Furthermore, depending upon the degree offriction desired between the friction or cup washers and the housing74the relative ease with which the steering gear opcratesmay be regulated.Moreover, it will be seen that by this construction, the yield abletension means also acts to take up wear ot' the parts and preventrattling7 and in the example oi the in\enton shown in Fig. tl, thetension ot the spring` may be regulated at will by varying the pouititnroi the stop or abutment washer.

lilhat. claimed is: i

l. l ln arehicle steering mechanism incflnd ing wheels, an axle,steering knuckles associated with said wheels. and axle.I a steeringknuckle arni on each ol said steering knuckles, a reach rod connectingsaid steering knuckle arms, and yielding stabilizing means connectingsaid steering knuckle-s cie erting resilient pressure thereon andmaintainingv said pressure constant in all steering positions` ol saidwheels, and a fixed guide for part ot said lrielding stabilizing meansguiding said stabilizing means in a straight line.

2. In a` Vehicle steering mechanismincludingfwheels, an axle, steeringknuckles associated Withsaid wheels and axle, a steering 'iti lll()knuckle arm on each of said steering knuckles, a reach rod connectingsaid steering knuckle arms, and stabilizing mean-s connecting saidsteering knuckles exerting yielding pressure thereon and maintainingvsaid pressure constantin all .steering positions of said Wheels, saidstabilizing means including a tension rod associated with each of saidtension rods extending toward one another, their adjacent ends beingspaced from each other, and a yielding pressure eX- erting devicebetween said adjacent and spaced ends connecting said tension rods andtending to keep them separated from each other.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JOSEPH M. SEAWELL.

